







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | |
| Yep, she was born in Australia, but her mother is Japanese. | |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | |
| He is 70 and my mum is 64. | |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | |
| That would be great! Do you think it's possible? | |
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | |
| Okay, the grated one's 20% off today. | |
| How old are you? | |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | |
| There are plenty more, but I think gumtree.com is the best. | |
| Okay, I want to have something similar then! | |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
| Exactly, so do you think snails are bugs or not? | |
| Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | |
| Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | |